Data collection device and network having radio signal responsive operation

1. A data collection system for implementation in an item delivery system wherein deliveries are made by delivery vehicles which travel along delivery routes that originate at a supplier facility, pass through one or more delivery locations and terminate at said supplier facility, said data collection system comprising: (a) a network disposed at said supplier facility, said network having an access point and an addressable printer in communication with said access point, said access point wirelessly transmitting a network identifier of said network; (b) a data collection device carried by said vehicle, said data collection device having an encoded information reading unit and incorporating a radio transceiver capable of communication with said access point; (c) a confirmation module included in said data collection device processing data to determine whether said data collection device is returning to said supplier facility; (d) wherein said data collection device is configured to automatically address a print command to said printer to automatically print data collected during execution of said route when receiving said network identifier from said network, provided that an output of said confirmation module indicates that said data collection device is returning to said supplier facility.

2. The data collection system of claim 1 , wherein said wirelessly transmitted network identifier of said network is selected from the group consisting of an SSID, a Cell ID and an IP address.

3. The data collection system of claim 1 , wherein said data collection device is configured to receive location information indicating a location of said data collection device, and wherein said data collection device, prior to automatically addressing said print command to said printer confirms that said data collection device is traveling in a direction toward said supplier facility utilizing said location information.

4. The data collection system of claim 3 , wherein said data collection device receives said location information from an on-board location data detection unit that is in communication with orbiting satellites.

5. The data collection system of claim 3 , wherein said data collection device receives said location information from a network.

6. The data collection device of claim 1 , wherein the data collection device is operative to read bar codes.

7. A data collection device, said data collection device comprising: (a) a hand held housing; (b) an imaging assembly supported by said hand held housing, the imaging assembly including at least one of (i) a combination of a solid state image sensor and an imaging lens focusing an image onto an active surface of said solid state image sensor, and (ii) a laser scan engine; (c) a display disposed in said housing; (d) a user interface including at least one of a touch screen or keyboard for entering data into said data collection device; (e) a first location determination circuit comprising a location detection unit incorporated into said housing, said location detection unit including a radio transceiver configured to receive radio signals from a satellite, said location detection unit producing location information indicating a location of said device; (f) a second location determination circuit enabling said data collection device to receive location information without processing of signals from a satellite; (g) a plurality of location determining routine modules, wherein each of the location determining routine modules, when active, causes said data collection device to output a location value based upon information generated by one or more of first and second location determination routines, and wherein each of the location determining routines outputs a location value with a different degree of accuracy, (h) wherein said data collection device is configured so that a location determining routine module which is active is responsive to a presently sensed location of said data collection device.

8. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein said data collection device, when a first of said plurality of location determining routine modules is active, does not process an output from said first location determining circuit, and wherein said data collection device, when a second of said plurality of location determining routine modules is active, processes an output from said first location determination circuit.

9. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein the data collection device is operative so that a first location determining routine module is active when the data collection device is at a first distance from a destination and further so that a second location determining routine module is active when the data collection device is at a second distance from said destination, the second distance closer to the destination than the first distance.

10. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein the data collection device is operative so that a first location determining routine module is active when the data collection device is at a first distance from a destination and further so that a second location determining routine module is active when the data collection device is at a second distance from said destination, the second location determining module having a higher accuracy rating than the first location determining routine module, the second distance closer to the destination than the first distance.

11. The data collection device of claim 10 , wherein the data collection device is operative to read bar codes.

12. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein the first location determination circuit includes a GPS unit.

13. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein the second location determination circuit enables the data collection device to read a circuit cell ID from a cellular network.

14. The data collection device of claim 7 , wherein the first location determination circuit includes a GPS unit, and wherein the second location determination circuit enables the data collection device to read a circuit cell ID from a cellular network.